Chimaera's Conquest: The Legend Of The Devourer
Chapter 86: Under The Moonlight

Chapter 86: Under The Moonlight

Amidst countless trees, a hidden lake shimmered in the moonlit night. The crystal clear water reflected the stars that adorned the cloudless sky. The night was quiet, with only the rustling leaves and the occasional nocturnal sounds breaking the silence, giving the illusion of a perfect night.

"This life isn’t so bad, after all..." Adrian mumbled, taking a deep breath, feeling the lake do its magic as all the exhaustion from his body disappeared.

[The entity, Illegitimate Raging War God, nods and says peace is often necessary to wage war.]

’...there’s been enough wars for now.’

It had been a hectic day for him. If he wasn’t tired after the battle, he sure was after the induction ceremony. It all happened so suddenly, but now he was a member of the tribe.

Usually, earning their trust meant getting a tattoo, a sacred mark

symbolising unity and belonging to the tribe. But Adrian’s mission to infiltrate the Tulkas tribe required discretion, so they refrained from marking him as it would cause problems for him.

Instead, they gave him a bracelet similar to that the slaves wore. It might make others think he was one of the slaves, backing up his story when interrogated by the Tulkas, but a special symbol had been engraved within the bracelet, making him different from the rest.

The mark was a symbol that showed the tribe’s trust in him. Since the symbol of faith was a well-kept secret and hadn’t been used for over a century, it was unlikely the Tulkas would know about it.

Floating in the lake without a worry was strange yet calming. Adrian could feel all his worries leave him as the tender water hugged him. But that wasn’t all. As he turned to wash his shoulder, he noticed something unexpected.

’The skin patches... they disappeared?’ He thought, his heart pounding with worry and curiosity.

Panicked, Adrian checked his stats, and although he still had the bonus defence from the skin patches, he couldn’t see them in his reflection in the water, and then it hit him.

"The healing effect from the water... I didn’t expect it would get rid of my biggest problem so easily," Adrian sighed in relief, tilting his head back and staring at the starry expanse above. "...it’s not a dream, is it?"

During his private swimming session, a sudden crunch of leave alerted him as Adrian silently retrieved his sword. Slowly turning around, he witnessed a sight beyond his wildest dreams.

A’Mila stood there, bathed in moonlight, completely naked. She had her hands over her head, casually stretching after a long, hard day at work.

Adrian, caught off guard, immediately averted his gaze, his face reddening, and he stammered, "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"I’m the matriarch, you know?" A’Mila chuckled, finding his flustered reaction amusing. "I can be here anytime I like, as long as it has been a year. So I thought I’d take a dip now since it’s a beautiful night and I’d like your company. It gets lonely doing it alone, after all."

"I-I see..." Adrian mumbled, still avoiding eye contact. "I can leave if you want."

"Don’t be a spoilsport," A’Mila smiled, playfully splashing water at him. "There’s enough water for both of us. If you don’t mind, that is. It’s your day, after all."

He shrugged, trying to act casual, "Sure, why not?"

A’Mila saw right through Adrian’s attempt; still unfazed by his embarrassment, she stepped closer, her laughter echoing through the quiet night as she gracefully dived into the lake.

The crystal clear water Adrian had been admiring before became a problem. Despite being in the water, he could still see A’Mila’s naked self, and she could see him and the little dragon slowly awakening from his slumber.

Even then, he could keep his eyes off of A’Mila. Not because his secondary head had taken over but because her scars seemed to have taken a new life as the healing water slowly erased them, bit by bit.

Adrian could only imagine how she accumulated so many scars in a year. After all, she was the strongest woman in the tribe, and to think someone or something managed to injure her was a weird thought.

A’Mila noticed his curious gaze and grinned. "Like what you see?"

Adrian’s cheeks flushed, but he didn’t turn away this time and stared into her eyes.

"We both know it’d be a lie if I said no," he mumbled, his gaze slowly shifting towards the biggest scar on A’Mila’s abdomen. "The scars, they... they’re kinda cool."

"Well, they’re part of who I am," A’Mila replied, swimming closer to him. "Every scar has a story. Why don’t you take a closer look while I tell you about them?"

Adrian knew it was a trap, so he turned away, planning to enjoy the sky instead. However, A’Mila sneaked up and hugged him from behind, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Keep ignoring a girl, and you’ll hurt her feelings," she seductively whispered in his ears.

"Girl? Remember, you’re the same age as my mother." Adrian laughed. "You’re the one who told me that."

"Tsk, touche," A’Mila clicked her tongue before letting him go and turning him to face her.

"So, did I pass the test?"

"You knew it?" A’Mila raised an eyebrow.

She believed she acted convincingly, so Adrian shouldn’t have been able to see through it. But it seemed he already knew about it.

"It’s obvious when someone who’s supposed to be celibate starts acting in the heat out of the blue," Adrian chuckled. "Not to say it wasn’t convincing. You almost had me."

A’Mila lifted an eyebrow, impressed by him. She wanted to test his resolve and ensure he wouldn’t get trapped by the beauties of the Tulkas. After all, they were physically more endowed than the women of the Banur, and unlike them, the Tulkas didn’t hide their beauty behind scars.

"You passed the test, so it calls for a reward, don’t you think?" A’Mila said, placing her hands on Adrian’s shoulders and gently kissing his forehead before departing.

Adrian smiled and waved her off, but he felt weird about the interaction with A’Mila.

"Why does it feel strange to get closer to her?" Adrian whispered. "Like I’m betraying someone..."

[The Higher Entity, ’Faithful Spouse In An Unfaithful Marriage’, smiles slyly.]